You're Humming Metallica?
by Sister Suffragette
Summary: Suddenly, the Impala's headlights start to flicker in and out. The boys whip around to the back seat, shotguns cocked. Dean inhales sharply. There sits a thin, pale figure. "Tess!" Sam gasps. "I don't have long boys, so listen up."
1. Chapter 1

Characters, names, and related elements are trademarks of Warner Bros. Television. Lyrics and song titles are trademarks of Metallica and Blackened Recordings. I own nothing.

Hello, friends! A couple of years ago, I thought of an episode idea for one of my favorite shows, _Supernatural_. After countless rewrites, I've finally decided to publish. I've written this story in the format of an episode, with the chapter changes being "commercial breaks". Following the canon _Supernatural _storyline, this episode would fit into Season 3 between episodes 12 and 13. I hope you enjoy and, as always, please read and review!

* * *

**Then:**

In the episode "Phantom Traveler", we learn that Dean is terrified of flying, which explains why he exclusively drives across the country while hunting. After a demonic possession threatens the safety of a commercial flight, Dean is forced to get on board and calms his nerves by humming Metallica.

Dean sells his soul in exchange for Sam's resurrection. Although he had originally accepted his fiery fate, Dean now admits that he wants to live, and with only 2 months left, the two brothers set out on a desperate search for a way out of his crossroads deal. To make things even worse, Bella has stolen the colt, a rare pistol that can kill demons with a single shot.

**Now:**

* * *

"Morton House?" Sam yells incredulously.

The Impala speeds down a dark highway, slick with rain.

"The hunters' Grand Canyon!" Dean replies smugly.

Sam huffs in response.

"Come on, Sammy!" Dean smiles. "Hauntings dating back 40 years, only strikes on Leap Day! It's on every hunter's bucket list- we're going."

"You've got two months, Dean," Sam says seriously.

Dean sighs, "Exactly."

Sam looks at his brother confused, knitting his eyebrows together.

Dean settles back into the driver's seat, tapping his fingers loudly on the steering wheel. "Look, we've got no colt," holding up one finger, "and no lead on Bella," holding up another. "This is the last Leap Day I've got, and I'm gonna hunt me some ghosts!"

"But-"

"Sam, we're going," Dean says sternly.

Sam stares into his brother's face, realizing he'll never win this argument.

Keeping his eyes on the road, Dean reaches behind him for a cardboard box tucked into the floorboard. His fingers scan over the stacked cassettes until he finally feels the familiar, frayed case. Popping the cassette into the player, "Enter Sandman" fades through the speakers.

_Say your prayers little one,_  
_Don't forget my son,_  
_To include everyone_

Just as the famous guitar riff swells, a whirring noise erupts from the glove department. The Winchester brothers exchange knowing looks, as Sam unlocks the cabinet to reveal the EMF meter lit up red and buzzing. Suddenly, the headlights start to flicker in and out.

Sam and Dean nod in unison.

The Impala's tires screech as Dean slams on the breaks, throwing the car into a violent spin.

The boys whip around to the back seat, shotguns cocked.

Dean inhales sharply.

There sits a thin, pale figure.

"Tess?!" Sam gasps.

"I don't have long boys, so listen up."

**TITLE THEME PLAYS**

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Chapter 2 available now!


	2. Chapter 2

**Previously on _Supernatural_:**

_There, in the back seat, sits a thin, pale figure._

"_Tess?!" Sam gasps._

"_I don't have long boys, so listen up."_

* * *

Dean pulls the Impala into an abandoned rest stop. Putting the car in park, he reaches for the keys in the ignition.

"Don't!" Tess exclaims, motioning to the radio. "I can't appear without it playing..."

Dean silently gets out of the car, slamming the door behind him. Sam follows, watching Tess's transparent figure pass seamlessly through the solid frame.

She didn't look like most of the ghosts the Winchesters had encountered, dressed in an emerald, velvet gown. There were no markers of her untimely death, and her long, wavy hair was still neatly pinned behind one ear. She could almost pass for human, if not for her unearthly, pale skin.

"I need your help," Tess starts.

"Is it really you?" Sam asks cautiously.

"It's me."

"How can we be sure?" Dean demands, speaking for the first time.

"We have to be certain," Sam reassures. "Make sure you're not a-"

"Revenant? Demon?" she finishes.

The brothers look at each other taken aback.

"I'm Tess Hollings, we went to high school together... you were my best friend."

Dean raises his eyebrows expectantly.

"Okay," Tess moves towards him. He immediately feels a chill settle over his skin. "The first time we met 'Wherever I May Roam' was playing on the radio."

Dean's shoulders relax. His eyes are fixed on the girl's face, somehow both familiar and foreign at the same time.

"It is you! Why are you here?" Sam murmurs.

Suddenly, Tess's ghostly visage starts to flicker in and out as the song finally fades. In seconds, she's vanished completely.

"Where'd she go?" Dean searches the night sky. "Hollings?"

_Hey, hey_  
_I'm your life,_  
_I'm the one who takes you there _

Music pierces the silence again as the second track starts to play.

"Hollings?!" Dean calls again. "Sam, get the- Jesus!" Tess appears inches away from his face, floating above the wet pavement.

Her apparition was hollower now, more like a shimmer of mist.

"It's not easy appearing this long, so listen up," Tess pleads. "Ghosts stick around because they have unfinished business, right?"

"Sometimes," Sam replies. "Or the ghost is stuck to an object, you know, something meaningful to them."

"Well I need your help with mine. And as far as an object, I think I have an idea on that, too."

The three turn to gaze at the radio.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

Dallas, TX

February 20, 1998

"I'm tired of being the new kid, Dean."

"If it makes you feel any better, Dad said we might be here a while. It'll take him and Uncle Bobby some time to track down that pack of vetalas."

"Not long enough," Sam grumbled.

Dean shifted in the driver's seat to look at his brother staring out the window. "At least we get to keep the Impala while Dad's away. We can hit the arcade tonight, first round of Street Fighter's on me!"

An awkward silence settled over the pair. In six months, the Winchesters had transferred to six different schools- Berkner High would be the seventh. The large brick building soon came into view; hundreds of teenagers spotted the grassy lawn. Pulling into the parking lot, Dean flipped on the radio, rolled down the windows, and cranked the volume.

_But I'll take my time anywhere,_  
_I'm free to speak my mind anywhere,_  
_And I'll never mind anywhere _

"Metallica! Good taste."

Dean looked up to see someone standing in front of the Impala. The girl moved to the driver's side, tucking her wavy hair behind one ear as she peered through the window. With mousy features and dark blue eyes, Dean thought she looked rather plain- and then she smiled. Incredibly wide and bright, it was a warm kind of smile that elicited one of his own.

"Come again, sweetheart?"

Sam leaned forward in his seat, stretching to see.

"'Wherever I May Roam' by Metallica," the girl said, gesturing to the radio.

"Oh, yeah they're alright. I prefer the classics: Zeppelin, the Stones, AC/DC..."

"Metallica is a modern classic," she said matter-of-factly. "Here," the girl slung her backpack around, unzipping the front pocket. Flipping through what must have been a dozen cassettes, she handed Dean an all-black case. "Just give it a chance, I swear you'll be converted."

"Thanks," Dean replied, flipping it over in his hands. "Is everyone in town this friendly to strangers?"

"Well yes," she smiled. "But you're not strangers. You're Sam and Dean Winchester, right? I'm Tess Hollings, senior class president," she said, extending her hand through the open window.

Dean chuckled softly and shook her hand.

"It's my job to show you around."

The brothers glanced at each other amusedly before grabbing their bags and exiting the car.

"It's nice to meet you too, Sam," Tess said, grabbing his hand. "The lowerclassmen wing is on the other side of campus. Becky Whittman, the freshman class president, is waiting for you in the administration office."

Dean ruffled his brother's hair, sending him on his way. "I'll pick you up later, Sammy."

"Oh!" Tess called out. "If anyone tells you there's a swimming pool in the basement, they're lying."

Sam laughed, "Got it." He waved back at the two before continuing down the sidewalk.

"So, are you ready for the tour?"

"Absolutely," Dean winked.

Admittedly, Dean didn't pay much attention to the tour. As far as he was concerned, Berkner High School was exactly like the other six high schools he had attended that year. Same hallways, same lockers, same principal's office that he would inevitably end up in. He did, however, pay attention to the tour guide. While Tess explained college credit courses, Dean focused on the denim skirt that showed off her long, slender legs. While she listed cafeteria options, he concentrated on the dimple that only formed on one side of her face.

"Did you play any sports in Durham?"

"What?" Dean blurted, wondering how long she had been talking before he answered.

"Sports. Did you play any sports in Durham?"

"No," Dean snorted. "Wait, how did you know I went to Durham?"

"Sorry," Tess blushed. "I couldn't help myself; I've never seen a permanent record that resembled an encyclopedia before."

A sly grin spread over his face. "So, you've taken an interest in me?"

Flushing harder still, Tess walked over to the staff room. "Anyway, I'd be happy to show you where your classes are," she said. "Ugh," she jiggled the handle, "it's locked. It's so annoying when people-"

Click!Tess turned around to see the Winchester snapping a large pocketknife open.

"Um, Dean," she waved keys in front of his face. "Well, that permanent record is starting to make sense." Tess unlocked the door, grabbed a file off the desktop, and scanned over the pages. "English, health, shop," she glanced at him, "AP Latin?"

"I've got an ear for languages," Dean shrugged.

"We'll have a class together then," she replied. "Don't worry, Mr. Dominski's alright. I did notice that you have seventh period open. Do you have any clubs in mind?"

"I'm not really an extracurricular kind of guy. I'd rather study you. How about it? You, me, the supply closet..."

Tess rolled her eyes. "You don't waste time, do you?"

"Not really."

"Well as lovely as that sounds, that's not what I had in mind."

Dean rested his hand on the lockers and leaned in until Tess could feel his warm breath on her neck. "Give it a chance, I swear you'll be converted."

"Clever," she laughed nervously. "Actually, I was thinking about our classical music group."

"Oh," he sighed defeatedly, stepping back. "I'm not a Beethoven kind of guy either."

"How about Black Sabbath?" she retorted.

Dean pursed his lips skeptically.

"It's a little loophole I found in the system. School-funded concerts downtown seeing _classical _rock legends. Not to brag, but last year one of our members came this close to being spit on by Ozzy Osbourne!"

Dean was still unsure.

"Look," Tess began, "I know you move around a lot, and this school won't be an exception. But it's not all bad here! Why not make the most of the time you have?"

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Chapter 3 coming next week!

I thought, since we're all _Supernatural_ fans here, it would be fun to have a prompt that can be discussed in the reviews section; in addition to your much-appreciated feedback, of course!

**Does anyone have a **_**Supernatural**_** drinking game that they play? If so, what are your rules?**


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